Technology provider focuses on user safety, driven by demand

To meet the rising demand for operator safety on site, as specified by major construction companies, added safety features have been included in the design of the new GBH 8-45 DV professional rotary hammer, which was launched in January by technology and services provider Bosch Power Tools South Africa.

“The awareness of operator safety has increased in the past few years and is currently a set mandate for all major construction companies. This ranges from protective clothing and safety training to ensuring that power tools protect the user,” says Bosch Power Tools South Africa industrial brand manager Craig Berridge.

The company, which is part of the Bosch Group, has developed new varieties of small- and large-angle grinders, with safety features. These include restart protection, which ensures that the machine does not start again after the electrical current is interrupted, as it will have to be turned off and on first; a kickback stop, which ensures the machine shuts off immediately, should the disc become jammed; and protection guards.

Further, the GBH 8-45 DV 8 kg rotary hammer offers minimal vibration, even at its highest power output.

“This provides the user with a higher level of comfort. Owing to its triple vibration damping, the rotary hammer also has an extended safe operation time of more than three hours a day. The damping system comprises a mass damper integrated into the aluminium cap, a decoupled main handle and a vibration-optimised hammer mechanism.

“As a result, the rotary hammer achieves low vibration levels of 7 m/s2 when in chiselling mode and 8 m/s2 when in drilling mode. The products are suited to the South African construction industry, as it is predominantly concrete based,” says Berridge.

He adds that the rotary hammer also offers the option of turbo power when in chiselling mode for applications that require extra power.

The rotary hammer runs on a 1 500 W motor, with 12.5 J of impact energy.

“This enables breakthroughs to be drilled quickly through walls and ceilings, for example. The new technology also ensures that no energy is lost when using turbo power, as the energy required for the rotation of the drill bit in drilling mode is used for chiselling. This substantially increases chiselling performance and enables cable ducts to be cut or floor tiles to be removed faster than ever,” explains Berridge.

He notes that the main challenge facing the handheld and power tools market is the lack of correct training on tool operation and safety awareness.

“Bosch Power Tools South Africa conducts on-site power tool user training through which the correct use of tools is demonstrated and explained. This is highly important for worker safety because no amount of safety gear can protect a user who is not sure how to correctly operate the tools,” says Berridge, who notes that, in future, Bosch Power Tools South Africa plans to maintain a proactive role in user safety.

The company also launched the SDS-plus-5 drill bit this year, which enables efficient drilling without stalling and stopping and is compatible with rotary hammers weighing between 2 kg and 4 kg.

The drill bits are available in diameters ranging between 3.5 mm and 26 mm and in lengths of between 50 mm and 400 mm.

“When used to drill through concrete, the conventional SDS-plus drill bits would often stall or stop completely, owing to inefficient dust extraction. This slows down the drilling process and delays projects,” says Bosch Power Tool Accessories regional brand manager Campbell Mhodi.

The new features of the SDS-plus-5 drill bit include an ActiveteQ centring tip for bits with diameters of 10 mm and larger. This provides improved guidance and grinds concrete into fine dust while drilling takes place. The drill bit also features two cutters and is brazed and hardened to increase strength and reduce vibration during drilling.

Mhodi further explains that the drill bit has carbide relief grooves, with a special V-shape design, which allows for the rapid transportation of fine dust into the flute and the prevention of clogging at the base of the bit.

“The four-flute turbo-designed flute removes the dust quickly and eliminates unnecessary dust explosion,” he says.

The new features have improved the life of the drill bit by 6%, compared with its predecessor, the S4L series, concludes Mhodi.